Indicating device for vessels.



L H.BENSON. mom/films DEVICE FOR VESSELS. APPLICATION HL'ED was. 1915. I 4 Patented June 20, 1916.

2 $HEETSSHEE'T 1.

EEEEEEEEEE AHEA I U I UIUHJ llllill I I U Q m HHHT z v I EBEEEEEEEI anvamio c JHBQYSOO J. H. BENSON INDICATING DEVICE FOR VESSELS. APPLICATION FILED AUG-5,1915.

Patented June 20, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- UNITED :s 'rEs PATENT 'orrroll JOHN H. BEiisomflor'Kn'Y wns'r, FLORIDA.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN H. BENSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Key West, in the county of Monroe and Stateof'Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicating Devices for Vessels, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved indicating device for vessels and has for its primary object to provide improved means for indicating the direction of movement of the vessel to the pilot, which-is automatically controlled by the movement of the reversing lever of the engine.

The invention has for another. and more particular object ,to provide in a device of the above character, an indicator casing pro vided with two series of electric lamps connected in a suitable cii crit for illuminating the indicia plates, said indicator being also provided with a revolution counter controlled and operated by said circuit in the ahead movement of the vessel, a switch being provided whereby the revolution Y counter can be cut out of the circuit in the ahead movement of-the vessel, if desired.

The invention has for anadditional ob ject to provide an indicator for the above purpose, which is very simple in its construction, reliable and positive in operation, and highly serviceable and convenient in use.

\Vith the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts'to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

' Figure l is an elevation of-the indicator which is suitably mounted in the pilot house of the vessel; Fig. 2 is a. similar view with.

the face plate of the indicator casing removed; Fig.3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4: is a diagrammatic view showing the operating circuit and the connections with the reversing lever.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 designates the casing of the indicator having a removable face plate 6 provided with spaced parallel slots or openings 7. therein. A ground upon the face plate behind each of these openings,

one of said plates being colored green and the other-red. One plate bears glass plate 8 is suitably mounted INDICATING DEVICE FOR VESSELS.

as shown in 1 of the raw.-

Patented June-20, 1916. Application filed August 5, 1915. Serial No. 42,847. h

the word Ahead and the -other word ported from the top wall thereof, a revolution counting or registering device 9 is arranged, the numerals on said device being visible-through an additional opening or slot 10 provided in the face plate 6. It will be understood that this registering mechanism may be -of any approved construction, and constitutes, in itself, no art of the present invention; It will su cc to state that the mechanism is actuated by means of a lever, indicated at 11. The outer end ,of

this lever is pivotally connected to a sole-' noid core 12, said solenoid being-mounted upon a suitable arm or support 13 fixed to the casing ofthe register 9.

The indicator casing 5 is provided with ahorizontally' extending partition wall 1 4 integral with the rear wall thereof, and above and below this partition wall, a series of electric light'bulbs 15 and 16, respec-. tively, are mounted, said series oflamps beingdisposed immediately opposite to the respective indicia plates 8.

Referring now to Fig. 4 of the drawing, 17 designates a portion of the engine frame upon which a stationary contact member 18 is fixed and suitably insulated from said frame. 19 designates a revolution counter arranged in the engine room and suitably mounted upon theframe 17. The mechanism of this counter is actuated by means of an arm 20 to which the reciprocating rod 21 is pivotally connected, said rod being operated' from the shaft of the engine in any suitable manner, Upon .the rod 21 and insulated therefrom, the movable contact member 22 is secured. 23 designates a quadrant suitably secured to the engine frame, and upon the same the reversing lever 2 is fulcrumed at one end, as indicated at 25. This lever carries a suitable locking dog 26 for.

to the lowermost notch 27 a contact'block 28 is fixed to the quadrant and insulated therefrom. -Wh en the lever is moved to this position on the quadrant, the vessel is moving ahead or in a forward direction. At the upper notch 27 of the quadrant on the astern position of thereversing lever, a

second metal contact block 29 is mounted. A contactblocli 30 is also carried by the reverslug lever and insulated therefrom, to

which. the conducting wire from the stationary contact connected. One Of the main line wires, indicated at 32, extending from a generator or other course of current supply. is connected to the movable contact element- A wire 33 is connected at one end to the :iliearl" contact block 28 and connects the series ol lamps 15 in the circuit. A wire li-lis also connected to the astern contact block 29 and connects the other series o'l lamps 16 in the circuit. The other of the main line wires 35 extends into the casing and is connected to the field oi the solenoid mounted therein. through the medium of which the register 9 is actuated. In this wire 85. a suitable switch. indicated at ll is located, and to the same, the wire which connects the lamps 16 in the series is joined. as indicated at 237. The field wire ot the solenoid mounted in the indicator casing is joined to the connecting wire of the lamps 15. as shown at 38. A shunt circuit wire 39 connects this terminal end of the solenoid field to the wire 35. A switch it) is located in the shunt circuit through the medium of which the solenoid may be short circuited to cut out the register 9 when the vessel is moving ahead, if desired.

In the operation of the indicator as above described. it will be understood that, wh the lever 26 is moved to the ahead position in the operation ofth'e counter 19, upon each forward movement of the rod 21, the contact 22 thereon engages the contact 18. Thus. the circuit is closed upon said contact through the wire 31, the contacts 28 and 31. extending member 18. is

30, wire 33, the signal lamps 15'. the field of solenoid 12, and back through wire to the generator. It is, of course. assumed that in such operation, the switch 36 is closed while the switch 40 is open, so that in the ahead movement of the vessel, the revolution counter or register 9 will be actuated. The lamps 15 will, in this manner, he intermittently flashed, and the 'plate 8 illuminated with each revolution of the engine. If it is desired to cut out the register 9, the switch 40 is closed to short circuit the solenoid so that the register 9 will not be-operated. The circuit will now be'closcd when the contact 22 engages the contact 18,. through the wire 31, contacts 29 and 30, wire 34:, the series of lamps l6 and then back through the wire 35 to the generator. Thus, the lower plate 8 bearing the word Astern, will be intermittently illuminated. Inthis manner, it will be seen that the pilot of the vessel will be instantly aware of the fact that the lever 24 has been actuated, in accordauco with the desired movements of the vessel.

- From the it'oregoing description, taken in connection with the actann mnying drawing,

the construction, manner of operation and several advantages of my improved indicating device will be clearly and fully under stood. The construction and relative arrangement of the several parts is cXceedingly simple and the device is automatically controlled and operated from the reversing lever for the engine. The circuit wires 33, JB-l and 2-35 are, ol course, housed within a suitable metalv pipe or conduit.

l t is, of course, obvious that any desired nlunber ol the signal lamps 1'5 and 16 can be employed and that the register or counter 9 need not necessarily be mounted within the indicator casing 5, but can be mounted exteriorly thereof. The invention can also be manu'lactured and installed at comparativelv small expense.

While I. have shown and described the preferred construction and arrangement of the several parts, it is to be understood that the device is susceptible of considerable modification therein and I, therefore, reserve the privilege ot adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent 1s:

the solenoid and cut the registering .mecha nism out of the circuit, a stationary contact, av movable contact. on the actuating rod of said counter, spaced contact elements wired to the respective series of lamps, and a contact element on the reversing lever to which said stationary contact is connected, whereby the circuit is closed through the lamps when the lever is in one position or the other and the lamps intermittently flashed upon engagement of the movable contact with said stationary contact.

In testimony whereot I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. JOHN H. BENSON. WVitnesses S. A. DAMS, F. LA RUE. 

